Iran says progress at last-ditch nuclear deal talks 'not enough'

The countries that are still signed up to the agreement held urgent talks with Iranian officials in Vienna in hope of persuading Tehran to hold off.

European countries offered too little at last-ditch talks on Friday to persuade Iran to back off from its plans to breach limits imposed by its nuclear agreement with world powers, Iran’s envoy said.

A week after Washington called off air strikes just minutes before impact, diplomats say Iran is days away from exceeding the maximum amount of enriched uranium allowed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which Washington quit last year.

The countries that are still signed up to the agreement — European powers Britain, Germany and France plus Russia and China — held urgent talks with Iranian officials on Friday in Vienna in hope of persuading Tehran to hold off.

The Europeans say breach of the agreement by Iran would escalate confrontation at a time when Tehran and Washington are at risk of a miscalculation that could trigger a war.